RPI’s Mike Zalewski signs with Vancouver Canucks

J.S.Carras/The Record Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Mike Zalewski (19) controls the puck in front of Dartmouth's Nick Lovejoy (2) during first period of ECAC Hockey first round play-off action Friday, March 7, 2014 at Houston Field House in Troy, N.Y..

TROY >> The National Hockey League reached into the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute program again on Friday, as the Vancouver Canucks have signed sophomore center/left winger Mike Zalewski.

The New Hartford native is expected to join the Canucks with the next couple days.

Moving from left wing at midseason, Zalewski centered RPI’s top forward line with senior left winger Brock Higgs and junior Ryan Haggerty on the right. The line clicked right away and Zalewski finished the season with nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points.

Zalewski’s signing of a free-agent contract comes just two days after Haggerty, a 28-goal scorer during the season, gave up his senior year and signed with the NHL’s New York Rangers.

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“I am very excited for this opportunity with such a first-class organization like Vancouver,” Zalewski said. “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to play in the NHL and the Canucks are providing that chance.

“I have my coaches and teammates to thank for helping me grow into the player I am,” he added.

Rensselaer coach Seth Appert said that, like Haggerty, Zalewski’s signing is a tribute to “his outstanding work ethic.

“His work ethic has helped him develop into a power forward in his two years at RPI,” Appert said. “He is a great teammate and will be missed (at RPI) but we are excited to watch him with the Canucks.”

Zalewski was pretty much a scorer (12-9-21) while playing left wing during his freshman season but Appert wanted him to become more of a physical, all-around player.

“It’s one thing for a coach or a staff to ask a player to become a power forward,” Appert said, “and quite another for the player to put that into his game, to buy into and to succeed.”

Appert said Zalewski’s original thought was to remain at RPI for at least one more season.

“Mike had some opportunities at the end of the season that he originally put aside and had leaned toward staying at RPI,” Appert said. “Then Vancouver stepped up and upped the ante and indicated he’d have the opportunity of joining (the Canucks) right away. That was too good to pass up.”

Appert isn’t sure why the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Zalewski wasn’t selected in the NHL when he was eligible last season and said that, ironically, “that’s something (had he been) that would have benefitted our program. Had he been drafted, he’d likely still be in our program.”

But free-agent offers to college underclassmen are usually pretty much a “right now” proposition and something Zalewski had to grab, especially since he’ll be stepping onto an NHL ice soon.

“I’ll either meet up with them on their road trip or head out to Vancouver,” he said.

The Canucks are at Carolina on Sunday night and at Tampa Bay on Monday night before returning home to play Nashville on Wednesday.

Local fans may be able to see Zalewski play on TV on March 23 without having to pay for NHL Center Ice Package, the Buffalo Sabres’ game at Vancouver will be televised by Madison Square Garden Network.

Zalewski said he was “a bit surprised,” when the Canucks increased their offer and allow him to join the NHL team now.

“Definitely taken back,” he added. “It definitely chaneged the dynamics of my decision.”

Still, the decision wasn’t totally an easy one, he said.

“It’s a bittersweet time for me and (for) my family,” Zalewski said. “Being at RPI the past two years has been a terrific experience in which I have developed a great deal as a player, particularly as a “power forward. I have my coaches and teammates to thank for helping me grow into the player I am today.”

Zalewski said that the fact that the Canucks told me that the definitely felt that I was ready to move up to the pro level gave me a confident feeling.”

Zalewski’s contract is a dual NHL-AHL contract, though, since he signed after the NHL trading deadline, he’s ineligible to play in the American Hockey League until next season. The Canucks’ AHL farm is in Utica, just about 12 miles from Zalewski’s home.

He said he hasn’t had time to think about what he may purchase with his first pay check.

“I’m sure my parents and my brothers and sisters are all looking forward to picking out something for me (at his expense).”

Zalewski said he’ll “be pretty nervous” when he hits the ice for his first pro and NHL shift.

“Anybody would be in that situation,” he said. “On top of that, I’ll be super excited. It’s every hockey player’s dream to play in the NHL and I’m looking forward to it.”